Didier Drogba feels that Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the Ballon d'Or

Didier Drogba faced off against Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or nomination gathered steam with Didier Drogba the latest to claim that the Real Madrid striker deserves the award this year. The Chelsea legend also spoke about his experiences playing against Real Madrid, before noting that Ronaldo’s exploits for Portugal and Real Madrid this season should be enough for him to bag the biggest individual award in football.

The Ivorian faced up to the microphones of the Real Madrid website, where he expounded on his choice for the Ballon d’Or, saying “I played against Cristiano in the 2008 Champions League final that Manchester United won, He's a real leader and he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or for his great performances both for Real Madrid and Portugal.”

Ronaldo’s exuberant celebrations after Portugal won UEFA Euro 2016 was met with criticism in some quarters, since the Real Madrid striker had gone off injured early in the final and had little to do in the final game, except for screaming instructions from the touchline. However, Drogba is not one of his critics, saying “Although he wasn't on the pitch at the final whistle, he was still the main reason why they got that far.”

Drogba reflects on Real Madrid’s impact in North America

Drogba is currently plying his trade for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Montreal Impact, who are playing against Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly and popped in to the Real Madrid training sesson to have a chat with Zinedine Zidane and take a few selfies with the Madrid players.

Drogba described Real Madrid’s presence as an honour, saying “It is very important for Montreal Impact that Real Madrid train here, given the history of the club. It is important to see how such an important team works.”

“I've played many times against Real Madrid. I faced them with Marseille and Galatasaray. I also played against coach Zinedine Zidane. Real Madrid is a massive, highly prestigious club. It is an honor to have them here.”